Error Message: Username Not Found (267877)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 95
  • Microsoft Windows 98
This article was previously published under Q267877

SYMPTOMS

When "down-level" clients (Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 clients) log on to the domain, they may receive the following error message:
The username cannot be found.

If the user tries several times, the user may eventually log on correctly.

When Windows 95 or Windows 98 clients receive this error message, the clients may be becoming authenticated by an unauthorized ("rogue") domain or domain controller (DC) with the same NetBIOS domain name as the normal Microsoft Windows 2000 domain, but the domain Security Identification Number (SID) is different.

CAUSE

There may be an unauthorized domain or domain controller on the network with the same NetBIOS name as your domain, but with a different SID.

Or, there may be a previously given domain controller with the correct SID, but with no valid computer account in the domain. Therefore, the rogue DC is not generating errors on the valid DC's and not synchronizing with the primary domain controller (PDC), but is still trying to authenticate users.

This domain controller responds to client logon requests and has registered with Windows Internet Name Service (WINS), and clients are getting its address when requesting 1C information from WINS.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, follow these steps:
  1. Choose one of the clients that is receiving the error message. On this client, implement the following instructions contained in the following article:

    For additional information about displaying domain logon confirmation in Windows, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    150898 How to Display Domain Logon Confirmation in Windows

    This article can help you to determine which domain controllers are validating users correctly.
  2. Check all WINS servers for the 1C entry. Obtain the list of domain controllers and check to see if all the entries in WINS are valid.
  3. If this still does not locate the rogue domain controller, you must obtain a network trace of the client logging in and obtaining the error message.
  4. Once you discover the domain controller that is validating the clients, check the role of the computer by typing the following at a command line:

    net accounts

  5. Disconnect the computer from the network and see whether you continue to have client logons. If the clients stop obtaining the error messages while the computer is offline you found the computer.
  6. More than likely the unauthorized computer is a Windows NT 3.51 or 4.0 domain controller. The only way to remove it is to reinstall the server. Take the necessary precautions to save data, shares, and files. If the computer is a Microsoft Windows 2000 domain controller, you can Domain Controller Promotion (DCPROMO) it down and DCPROMO it back up to join the correct domain.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about saving and restoring existing Windows NT shares, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

125996 Saving and Restoring Existing Windows NT Shares


For additional information about restoring share definitions to another server, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

141589 How to Restore Share Definitions to Another Server

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/15/2006
Keywords:kberrmsg kbinterop kbnetwork kbprb KB267877
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.